Mr. Inaugural Parade – Charlie Brotman

A Presidential tradition, dating back to the second Dwight Eisenhower inauguration in 1957, is Charlie Brotman as the voice of the Inaugural Parade.

Brotman got the job after Eisenhower liked the way he was introduced at Opening Day of the Washington Senators in 1956. In 2005, I wrote a feature on Brotman. He was very gracious with his time on our phone call. I met him in person in 2006 and subsequent times since. Brotman was the last p.a. announcer at Griffith Stadium and routinely handled that role on Opening Day, including when baseball returned to the Nation’s Capital in 2005 with the Nationals. Brotman moved in to public relations and became a juggernaut. He’s one of the great Washingtonians.
MORE ON BROTMAN

1941 newsreel featuring Washington Senators falling to the New York Yankees, 3-0 at Griffith Stadium in the traditional Presidential opener. Also included, Hank Greenburg’s Army induction and a “draft” for Washington women to dance with servicemen.